Farewell, Lover
by echaryn
Summary: Ace and Sabo are in love, deeply, but life and duties keep them apart. They are pirate and revolutionary, and although they've wished for nothing but freedom when they were younger, they are tied to their responsibilities more than ever. So all they can do is live on and spend rare days off together, away from the eyes of the world... [AceSabo] [Explicit]
**Hello everyone,**

 **so acesabo and saboace are definitely my guilty pleasure ships and I finally got around to write about them :D**

 **A short note: They are NOT brothers, they are not blood-related, they don't share DNA and they are aware they are not related.**

 **So please do not criticise me for making them a couple in this fic. It is NOT incest.**

 **Aside from that please enjoy.**

 **I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.**

* * *

 **Ace**

The night is still young and promising. The room they booked is on the top floor of a hotel, standing on the cliff above a radiant, pulsating city on an island on the Grand Line. The noise of the city doesn't reach up to them, although the lights do, and when they look down from the large balcony, the city is an ocean of black and orange golden lights. The sky is coloured a deep navy, the stars glowing silver down at them and Ace can't remember the last time he has felt so calm, so very much at peace with himself and the world.

The wind is warm, smelling of salt and rain. They have opened all the windows and the doors of the balcony – they don't care if someone may hear them – and the wind is like a loving caress on their overheated skin, sweaty and sticky from the earlier passion they shared.

Yeah, right now, this room, this ocean and sky is everything Ace has wished for, everything he will ever need if this one person is beside him. His heart clenches with fond and love and adoration because the one person, the one man he loves more than life itself, is next to him again, after a long, painfully long time apart from each other.

He feels warm fingers carefully threading through his hair and he hums approvingly at the affectionate gesture that sends a warm tingle down his spine. He has his eyes closed – he doesn't need them, because the body underneath him is so familiar to him, he knows it just like his own. He knows every curve, every scar, every crevice and he adores every single one, the beautiful flaws only he can see; only he knows of, on the world's most gorgeous man.

He has his head lazily resting on his lover's chest. He can hear the heartbeat clearly, and he loves the way it's quickened, not because he's still aroused and excited, no, they're both only softly glowing from their first round.

No, his lover's heart is always beating so quickly, simply because they are together and his lover is still in love with him, despite everything. Still so in love.

In all these years that has never changed, and Ace feels himself falling in love again, over and over.

"You know…Dragon wouldn't approve of this at all," Sabo says with a smirk and Ace grins playfully, leaning down to capture those sinful, velvet lips again in a loving but tender kiss, a kiss that still has the traces of the earlier blaze in it.

The heated storm of arousal and greed and _hunger_ has subsided already; they still enjoy the afterglow of their intense coupling, and as usual the peaceful aftermath is almost as intimate as the act itself.

Ace feels Sabo so close…close in a different way, not close the way they are when their bodies are connected, but close in that way when your hearts beat in the same rhythm…and you sense and feel that your lover's thoughts are circling around you, and you only, and when your body, although cooling off and calming down, still remembers dearly the touch of someone else.

"If he would, it would only be half as funny," Ace replies and tenderly strokes Sabo's face with his knuckles.

"True. Dry old man. I bet he's forgotten all about love and sex already years ago."

"Can't believe he's ever had sex in his life. But Luffy is the living proof. Always wondered who his mum is…"

Sabo snorts a laugh: "I asked him once about Luffy's mother and he broke the mug he was holding. I'd say, if she is still alive, she dumped his sorry ass. Serves him right."

Ace grins playfully: "But just because he had a bad break-up doesn't mean he can expect you and everyone else to live in abstinence."

"I agree. I mean, he's the leader of the revolutionaries, sure. Maybe he just doesn't have time to find someone new or so." He sighs: "One of the reasons why I don't want to become his successor. I'm not cut out for that sort of serious life commitment. I like the small amount of freedom I still possess."

Ace raises his brow at that and Sabo blinks, before he notices how mean that has just sounded, and Sabo breaks a beautiful smile, a smile that makes Ace's heart melt every time he sees it, and Sabo gently touches his bare chest.

"C'mon, don't look at me like that. You know what I mean. Love is a different commitment."

"I hope so. And speaking of freedom…have you two talked about it yet?"

Sabo rolls his eyes. "That's not a topic I can just bring up whenever…It has to be the right time and place."

"Sabo, the longer you wait, the less likely it's going to be that he'll say yes."

Sabo sits up and Ace gently strokes his bare arm and torso. Sabo is gorgeous; in fact, Ace believes that he's the most beautiful man one can encounter on the entire Grand Line.

And he's _his_ , his alone.

Well, if there wasn't Sabo's current occupation…

"I told you, it needs preparation to convince him. He won't let me leave unless I provide him with enough arguments to support my point," Sabo sighs, running a hand through his blond hair that Ace loves so much. It's always soft and shiny, even after days and weeks of constant fights and battles.

"And I told _you_ that he has no right to deny you your freedom. You're an adult now, and you've spend the last twelve years there. It's enough, don't you think?" Ace says softly, but firmly, as he runs his fingers up and down Sabo's back.

"Easy for you to say, you don't need to have that talk with him," Sabo says, smiling unhappily.

"Well, I _would_ talk to him, but that would probably result in either of us being killed."

And Sabo's smile turns amused. "You still hate him, right?"

"Obviously. He freaking abandoned Luffy and snatched _you_ away," Ace says, trying hard not to get pissed off. Already the thought of Monkey D. Dragon has him clench his hands to angry fists. He _loathes_ that man.

He can still remember so clearly, when they were younger, how often Sabo would talk about leaving the island and his parents he hated so much, to be on his own, independent, unshackled, free as the wind itself.

And now look at him...drowing in his responsibilities, tied to his duties more than ever.

Sabo's hands gently cup his face. "Hmmm, let's change the topic? This is ruining the mood."

And after a moment, Ace nods, gripping Sabo's wrists. Sabo's skin is paler than his, the result of too many years spend in the same stronghold on Baltigo, locked away in dim rooms and behind too-high, barred windows.

He leans in to press a kiss to Sabo's lips. "I wish you could just come with me. The Whitebeard crew would welcome you with open arms."

"You know it's not possible. At least not yet."

"…but what if you _would_ dare to do it?"

Sabo chuckles and kisses him again. "The revolutionaries don't like traitors and liars. They'd probably hunt me down to cut my throat and then burn my corpse, for everyone else to see."

"Christ, you guys are by far crueller than most pirates," Ace scoffs.

Sabo hums in agreement. "Yeah, almost as cruel as the people we fight against."

"Makes me wonder whether you guys are doing the right thing."

"Ace," Sabo starts with a sigh. They've had this talk way too many times.

"C'mon, you must've thought about it, too! Revolutionary Army, alright, but since you guys have started actively fighting against the World Government, the death rate of civilians at the hands of Marine's has gone up like a freaking firework at night," Ace says, trying hard not to sound irritated, but he doesn't quite succeed.

It just makes him so _angry_ – every time he opens a newspaper, there are more and more news and reports about the latest killings, innocent civilians get stuck in the bloody battle between the rebels and the Marines. And most pay with their lives.

Last week there has been a Buster Call, up in the North Blue, because the Marines believed they had discovered one of the Revolutionary Army's bases. Turned out the island had been completely free of any rebels at the time, there wasn't even a base. Well, and now the island doesn't exist anymore.

No survivors.

And his lover, his best friend, who is right beside him right now – he's the chief of staff of the revolutionaries, and although he knows that Sabo, just like his peers, only follows orders…it makes him sad and furious to know that Sabo is involved in that bloody mess.

Sabo looks at him with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. After a moment, Ace rubs his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's ok. It's not like you're wrong, although I wish you were," Sabo sighs unhappily.

"I mean, you guys have noble motives and goals, sure. But your way of achieving these goals? Are more than questionable."

"I know."

They don't say anything for a while. Ace feels he has said too much – ruined the mood completely – but he can't just ignore what's happened. Especially if the love of his life is so directly involved in it.

Ace himself is a pirate; he doesn't consider himself a _good guy_ , either, definitely not, he's defeated too many Marines and other pirates to be considered a good man. But the Whitebeard pirates have morals, they know what is right and what is wrong, and, most of all, they aren't cruel, especially not to civilians and children.

The revolutionaries, on the other hand…these guys are _ruthless_ , full of hatred and the thirst for vengeance.

And that makes them unpredictable and dangerous.

"...Why do our conversations always turn political?" Ace sighs. He looks in Sabo's beautiful face, glowing softly in the light of the lamp standing on the nightstand next to the bed.

"I know…we should stop talking, hm?" Sabo smiles. The mood lightens up a little, as they lean toward each other, meeting for a sweet kiss.

Ace trails his hand from Sabo's back to his neck, feeling the quickening pulse underneath his fingers as he strokes along the length of his throat and Sabo opens his lips to gently lick over his lips.

The dark-haired man smiles and opens his mouth, to slide his tongue against Sabo's and he closes his eyes as he feels the revolutionary's tender hands on his chest, moving up and down, before wandering to his back and he feels the fingernails digging deeper, the deeper he kisses.

He carefully leans Sabo back down into the pillows, breaking the contact to latch upon his throat and he admires the dark red kiss marks he has left earlier that night, and he works on a new one, right above Sabo's collarbone.

He can hear Sabo laugh softly and he pauses for a moment, looking at him.

"Always so possessive," the blond man chuckles and Ace grins, nipping at his bottom lip, but pulling away as Sabo wants to deepen the contact.

"Can you blame me?"

"Well, you could have more faith in me and my fighting skills," Sabo says with a wink.

"I have all the faith in _you_ , but not in your peers. I mean, who wouldn't want to have you?"

"Oh please, since when am I a damsel in distress?"

Ace grins at him: "You're not, it's one of the reasons I love you. But you're gorgeous, so people will go out of their way to have you."

Sabo laughs even more. "Thanks for the compliment. But contrary to your beliefs, Ace, my peers do know the concept of consensual physical contact – when it comes to sex. In a battle, not so much."

"At least your peers know the basics, huh?" Ace mumbles, returning to suck on the reddening spot he has chosen to be the latest mark he will place on Sabo's skin.

Sabo's fingers return to his hair and his face is angled upwards, for a kiss, and Ace happily obliges this time.

He's already slipped back between Sabo's slender legs, and he can feel the man's cock gradually springing back to life, rubbing eagerly against his thigh. Ace sucks on Sabo's tongue, loving the little moans the usually so composed man lets out, and then he traces one hand from his neck…over his chest…past the pelvis all the way down between his legs and his cock hardens again when he feels the wetness still lazily running out of Sabo's entrance, the remnants of their earlier round…

Sabo sighs and lets his head fall back into the pillows as he slowly works his finger back into his tight hole. He scissors his fingers and then thrusts them in a little deeper and Sabo's legs draw up, trapping him tightly.

"Hm…does it feel good?" Ace coos satisfied as he continues to work his lover's special spot.

Sabo gasps and grabs the already ripped sheets (his hands are vicious) and arches his back up into his touch.

"Hurry up," the blond man says and his voice is dark with reawakened arousal and tinged with amusement.

"Just wait a bit longer," Ace replies darkly. Although his cock, fully erect again, is twitching in impatient anticipation, he doesn't want to hurt the blond man.

He knows Sabo's body like his own, and they've done it so many, many times already over the course of the years… And yet, every time is different, and every time Ace feels the old fear, the old concern. He doesn't want to hurt the man, hurting him would be the last thing he'd ever want in the world. And that means both physically and emotionally.

So he takes his time preparing him, although Sabo is already hitting his sides with his knees.

"Christ, Ace, if you don't hurry up I'll do it myself," Sabo snaps impatiently. And Ace only smiles as three scenarios flash before his inner eyes.

Either Sabo would just throw Ace on his back, climb on top of him and slide down on Ace's dick, or he would kick Ace off the bed and just finish himself off with his own hands, or he would throw Ace on his back, get between his legs and fuck him.

All these scenarios have happened already and Ace loves every single one of them.

But for now he wants to be back inside his lover and fill him with sweet love, so he hurries to stretch Sabo far enough to re-accommodate his cock and Sabo's nails are already scrapping across his back, decorating his Whitebeard tattoo with thin, bloody lines that burn viciously.

"Ok, ok, you're ready," Ace says between gritted teeth as the passion inside him flares up like a blaze.

He places a hand on Sabo's hip to pull him closer as he lines himself up and with a satisfied sigh coming from Sabo, he pushes inside, feeling the well-known euphoria cursing through him as the tight channel clamps down on him and he feels like melting in that magnificent, perfect heat inside his lover.

 **Sabo**

He can feel every inch of that thick, long cock buried inside him and although this has happened so many times already, he needs a few moments to relax and remove the tension from his muscles. His skin feels like it is burning where they touch, and he feels invisible flames licking over him, over every inch of his body, stimulating to the point it hurts and _god_ he wants more, _more, give me more…_

Ace is waiting, resting still, but his grip on Sabo's hips is nearly bruising and when Sabo opens his eyes he can see his lover's dilated pupils, his dark hair falling into his freckled, perfect face as he intently stares down at him, waiting for the sign he can move and Sabo's heart thunders against his chest as Ace's stern expression softens and the love of his life passes him a beautiful, playful smile and the man leans down to kiss him.

Their tongues dance around each other and Sabo feels how Ace pulls back carefully, before working his cock deeper, finding the perfect angle, and Sabo moans into the kiss, his right hand falling from Ace's back to wrap around his own hard cock to slowly stroke himself, matching Ace's pace.

"Haaah…," he can't hold back his throaty moans as Ace finds his sweet spot, the way he always does, and he continues to sweetly torture him, sometimes he hits it straight on, leaving Sabo writhing and gasping, seeing stars before his eyes, and then he purposely only grazes it, enough to drive him crazy with the want for more, and Sabo's body moves on its own, faster, in need for more friction, more, _more_ ….

"Hnnn…Ace…," he whines and Ace's hand closes around his cock and they continue stroking his leaking cock and it's almost too much, he's so close, _more, faster, more, more, almost_ – but then Ace's movements slow down and Sabo opens his eyes with need and irritation.

"Hurry up," he breathes and Ace only smiles, kissing him hard, his tongue coming deep inside –

"I don't want it to end so soon," Ace whispers against his lips, his breath hot, too hot, and for a split second Sabo thinks he can see fire underneath his skin, and a sudden heatwave seems to press his body down into the mattress again as Ace once again looms over him, beautiful, silly, dangerous Ace with the heart of gold…

Ace kisses him again, and Sabo kisses back, moving his hips forward to get Ace's cock further inside again, and he can feel how Ace grins into the kiss, satisfied with how wanton Sabo is, deeply satisfied.

"You want me so much?" he whispers and this time, Sabo bites him, not enough to cut his lip, but enough to get his point across.

"Yeah...move…just move," Sabo moans and he rubs against him, shamelessly, get him to move, get him to make him feel good…

"Ace…," he bites out and then he grabs a handful of Ace's dark hair and yanks at it.

And Ace only grins, not even wincing at the pain, and then he pulls his cock out entirely – but before Sabo can protest in annoyance, he slams it back inside, all the way to the base and Sabo sees white stars explode in front of him and his head falls back in complete bliss, exposing his throat in defeat, _do that again, more, more, give me more…!_

"Haaaah, Sabo…You are so perfect, Sabo, perfect, just perfect for me," Ace moans into his ear and he starts licking his neck, sucking lewdly on his skin and Sabo's walls clamp down on the magnificent, rock-hard cock inside him, his own dick is leaking obscenely, so so close, and Ace's lips are on his again, wet, feverish, his tongue plundering his mouth and Ace's hand on his cock is so good, so fast, just a bit _more, more, Ace!_

"Ace –"

"Go ahead, come for me."

And although Sabo wants to come, wants it so bad, his whole body is trembling with the foreshock of his orgasm, he holds himself back, he claws his hands into Ace's arms and stares up at him.

"Together…," is all he breathes into the damp, aroused silence of the room.

And Ace's eyes darken at once and suddenly his arms are around Sabo's torso, hoisting him up in one swift motion, onto Ace's lap and his own weight pushes him even further down Ace's cock and Sabo gasps at the new found depth and his muscles flutter around the thick intrusion and Ace's thrust become relentless, so ruthless Sabo forgets to breathe and all he can do is cling to Ace's shoulders and meeting his thrust with the same insane vigour.

"God, Sabo," Ace groans and Sabo is thrown onto the mattress again and his lover's fist closes tightly around his cock, rubbing him so good, so strong and Sabo tenses up, his nails dig deep into Ace's back and more, _more, faster, deeper, come deeper –_

And his orgasm washes over him like a tidal wave, his head falls back into his neck and his back arches off the bed and warm white spurts across both their chests and Ace drives into his spot, merciless, forcing him to take the whole wave and drown in the pleasure, the ecstasy and then Sabo feels the cock inside him spasm and hot, burning liquid fire fills him to the brim and Ace collapses on top of him, panting, spent and sighing in utter bliss.

And Sabo is the first to smile again, still happily enjoying the glow of the aftermath.

He gently brushes Ace's sweaty hair away from his face.

"I love you…"

 **Ace**

"Are you ok?" Ace asks later, as they once again lie next to each other. They've cleaned up, although they both know it won't be the last round of the night.

"Of course," Sabo smiles and winks at him. "It was amazing."

And Ace's inner beast roars in satisfaction and pride at being able to make his partner so lost in the pleasure of his touch and make him so completely willing of his hands, his mouth, his body…

Yeah, one may call Ace old-fashioned, but nothing would hurt his ego more than not being able to satisfy his lover in the most ancient, animalistic way.

"I love you," Ace replies with a loving whisper and Sabo kisses him on the lips, sweetly.

"I love you, too."

And they rest like this for the longest time, Ace on his front with his eyes closed, and Sabo's fingers thoughtlessly tracing the lines of his Whitebeard tattoo on his back and playing with the red bads of his necklace. It's a soft tickle, enough to lull him into slumber, but he doesn't want to sleep yet.

They both only have a few days together, until they have to return to their real lives. And he wants to make the most out of their rare time together, he doesn't only want to make love to the man, he also wants to hear about his stories, hear about what has happened in the lonely months they haven't seen each other, he wants to exchange stories and news and kisses…

He wants not only their bodies to get to know each other again, but also their minds… Reconnect on an intellectual and emotional basis, because both of them change, of course they do, everyone changes the older they get, the more things they experience.

And the thought of Sabo's mind becoming a stranger to him terrifies Ace.

So he wants to hear his stories, his thoughts, wants to map out his emotions and memories, most of all make new ones, together… So they will never, ever, be strangers to each other, despite who they are outside of this hotel room, despite who they are in the headlines of the papers.

In here, they are best friends, lovers, soulmates, sworn brothers.

And to the rest of the world, they are pirate and revolutionary.

One might think they would be an invincible pair, two excellent fighters, with bounties so high common people would pale at the mere sight of their wanted posters. But in reality, it's not at all that glamorous. Ace is tied to the Whitebeard crew and Sabo is bound by his duties for the revolutionary army.

Days on the Grand Line are long, and so are the nights, and every time they are apart…Ace misses him, misses him so much it hurts. Weeks and months pass by where they are not able to see each other, where they are merely able to read each other's name in the newspaper, and Ace hates it.

He hates that he can't see Sabo whenever he wants to, he hates that he is often half a world away from his lover, and more than once he lies awake at night, his fingers wandering over his mattress to find the familiar body he loves so much, only to meet empty sheets and loneliness.

They both lead dangerous lives. And…although he knows Sabo is as strong as he is, he can't help being worried about him. It's only natural – there are forces in this world that are stronger than the two of them combined, stronger than him, Sabo and their idiot little brother Luffy together, stronger than even the Whitebeard crew united.

And who knows when fate turns against them and takes one of them from the world…

"Stop thinking whatever you are thinking," he hears Sabo say.

He opens his eyes to see Sabo sitting next to him, leaning against the headboard of the bed. His right hand is still caressing Ace's shoulders; the other one is holding a book.

"Hm?"

"I can tell from your face you're thinking stupid things again," Sabo says.

"…They're not stupid thoughts. Only realistic ones."

Sabo raises his brows at that. "Since when are you a realist? You're a pirate, you're supposed to dream of the impossible and make it happen."

Ace laughs in a low voice. "True. I guess I'm just being silly."

And Sabo looks at him, before he smiles again: "Then tell me what you were thinking about."

And Ace takes his hand to softly kiss his knuckles: "I was thinking about how much I love you. And how much I miss you when we are not together."

And Sabo's smile wavers at that. "I miss you too when we are apart, you know that. It's a sort of loneliness only you can chase away," he mutters and his smile disappears, replaced by a saddened, annoyed expression.

Ace sighs and soothingly rubs his bare leg, only innocently.

"…Is there anything we can do, though?"

"I don't believe so. At least not right now."

"You know, after you had the talk with Dragon –"

"Ace, could you please stop mentioning another man's name when I'm in bed with you?" Sabo asks with a roll of his eyes.

That makes Ace laugh softly and he props himself up on his elbows to press an apologetic kiss to Sabo's jaw: "Sorry. And to return to our topic…I want to get another tattoo."

Sabo blinks in surprise and now he puts his book away. "Really? A new tattoo?"

"Yeah. Something that reminds me of you. I don't know yet what it's going to be, but I will definitely get a new one," Ace says with a reassuring smile.

"Uhm…ok, well, it's your body, but where…?" Sabo asks and Ace is happy he is asking.

"Here," he replies and points at the smooth, empty skin above his heart.

And Sabo starts laughing at that. "You're so cheesy!"

"And you love it," Ace mutters and they kiss again, the atmosphere in their room turning happy again.

"That I do," Sabo hums and their arms circle each other, and to a stranger's eyes, they would've looked like one, bodies tightly pressed together in such an intimate and yet pure manner, just two men deeply in love with each other, lost in the bliss of being in each other's company in that lonely hotel room on a cliff above the Grand Line.

However, time does not stand still. The days pass in the blink of an eye, and Ace and Sabo stand in front of each other down at the harbour, where Ace has tied his tiny raft.

Ace doesn't know what to say. He never does. Sabo knows what's going on inside of him, of course, but… Voicing the pain and sadness he feels over this goodbye would make it too real…to much more them to handle.

Sabo looks like his noble self again, clad all nicely in blue, with his white shirt white scarf, blue vest and coat, blue trousers and shiny black boots. He holds his beaver in his hand.

Ace looks like a pirate again, and as usual he doesn't bother putting on a shirt, especially not in the nearly tropical heat of this island.

They look at each other and Ace bites his lower lip as the emotions yet again threaten to overwhelm him.

At some point, Sabo clears his throat.

"I'll see you, I guess," he smiles, but his smile is forced and Ace frowns.

"Yeah, I guess… Stay safe," he replies and he has to fight his hands from pulling the man closer. They already said goodbye in their room, without witnesses, and yet here…although the harbour is filled with people, it could've also been the entire staff of the Marine for all Ace cared about. He just wants to pull him back into his arms.

All that is important is the man in front of him.

"Stay alive, pirate," Sabo says in a low voice.

"You, too, revolutionary."

And then Ace throws all caution to the wind and leaps forward to press a hard, hot kiss to Sabo's lips and Sabo's mouth opens immediately, his tongue almost slides desperately against his and Ace wishes he could prolong it, prolong for another century or so, but he has to let go, he has to leave –

"I love you, Ace, don't you forget that, I love you," Sabo breathes against his lips and with the rest of resolve he still has, Ace tears himself away from his lover.

"I love you, too, Sabo."

And then he walks backwards, towards his raft, his eyes fixed on the love of his life, the man he loves with every fibre, every single cell of his body. The fire inside him flares up angrily at the loss.

And Sabo can't do anything, but stand at the pier, watch him untie his raft. And they both bite their lips, tears itching in their eyes, as the distance between them increases – and Ace clenches his hands to fists, when he hears hurried steps and he turns to see Sabo standing at the corner of the harbour now, waving at him frantically, desperately.

"Farewell, pirate!" Sabo shouts across the waves, both a laugh and a sob in his voice and Ace's heart clenches yet again, as he waves his hat back.

"Farewell, revolutionary!"

 _And stay safe until I once again hold you in my arms…_

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. _  
_**


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